AEB (Automatic Emergency Braking)
What AEB means in commercial trucking, how heavy vehicle AEB differs from light vehicle rules, and what to document when an AEB-equipped truck is in an incident.
Trucking Safety Glossary
Plain-English trucking safety, dash cam evidence, accident documentation, and claim evidence terms.
How to use this section
Use the glossary to keep incident reports, safety meetings, and claim files using the same plain-English terms.
ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems)
What ADAS means in commercial trucking, which features the term covers, and why 'ADAS-equipped' is not a sufficient description for incident documentation.
dash cam footage
What dash cam footage is in commercial trucking, how it is preserved, and how it is used in insurance claims and incident investigations.
driver-facing camera
What a driver-facing camera records in a commercial truck, how it is used in safety programs, and what notice and access policies should cover.
forward-facing camera
What a forward-facing dash cam captures on a commercial truck, how it is used in incident reconstruction, and what its limitations are.
event trigger
What a dash cam or telematics event trigger does, what it captures, and why understanding trigger behavior matters for evidence preservation.
harsh braking
What harsh braking means in fleet telematics, how thresholds are set, and how to use harsh braking events correctly in coaching and incident documentation.
harsh acceleration
What harsh acceleration means in fleet telematics, how it differs from harsh braking, and how to use acceleration events in driver coaching.
telematics
What telematics data is in commercial trucking, what it captures, and how it is used in accident reconstruction and fleet safety management.
ELD data records
What ELD records contain, how they are used in truck accident investigations, and how to preserve them after a serious incident.
claim evidence
What claim evidence means in commercial trucking, what types of evidence matter in different claim types, and how to manage evidence collection after a crash.
cargo claim
What a cargo claim is in commercial trucking, when it applies, and what documentation is needed to support one.
physical damage claim
What a physical damage claim covers in commercial trucking, how it is documented, and how total loss determinations work.
liability claim
What a liability claim is in commercial trucking, what evidence matters most, and how to handle communications with the other party's insurer.
incident report
What a driver incident report is, what it should contain, and how it functions as the starting point for claims, coaching reviews, and insurance notifications.
retention policy
What a retention policy is for fleet records, why it needs to be written down, and how legal holds interact with normal retention schedules.
driver coaching
What driver coaching is in fleet safety management, how it is documented, and why coaching records matter in claims and litigation.
safety score
What a safety score measures in fleet telematics, how scores are calculated, and how to use them correctly in coaching and fleet management.
nuclear verdict
What a nuclear verdict is in trucking litigation, what factors contribute to large verdicts, and how consistent safety documentation relates to verdict risk.
accident review board
What an accident review board does in fleet safety, how internal review findings should be handled, and how to structure a review process for a small fleet.
post-accident testing
What post-accident drug and alcohol testing requires in commercial trucking, when it is triggered, and why the analysis should be confirmed for each specific incident.
roadside incident
What a roadside incident is in commercial trucking, how to respond safely, and why even non-collision events should be documented.
preservation
What evidence preservation means in commercial trucking, when it becomes urgent, and what a legal hold requires.
chain of custody
What chain of custody means for truck accident evidence, why gaps matter, and how to document evidence handling for dash cam footage and other records.
driver statement
What a driver statement is, when to collect it, and how to handle it within the claim and legal process.
witness statement
What a witness statement is in a truck accident, how to collect witness information at the scene, and how to handle witness communication after the incident.
Loss Run Report
What a loss run is, how it is used by insurers and brokers, and how to use your own loss run to understand your claims history.
deductible
What a deductible is in commercial trucking insurance, how it differs by coverage type, and how it affects claim decisions.
primary liability
What primary liability coverage is in commercial trucking, what it covers, and what the federal minimum requirements are.
cargo insurance
What cargo insurance covers in commercial trucking, how coverage terms interact with carrier liability, and what documentation is needed after a cargo loss.